


Maniac Messiah

by furorem



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: M/M, Mini Slow Burn, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 17:32:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17430392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furorem/pseuds/furorem
Summary: Ren was the void: Large, consuming, incessant. And he lay in Hux’s bed. And he worshipped Hux’s body.





	Maniac Messiah

**Author's Note:**

> This sat in my drafts folder for a year. A WHOLE YEAR! fml

Hux has been quietly seething with rage for weeks now, ever since they’ve returned to the _Finalizer_ after the half-defeat on Crait. The stalemate was driving him crazy. No real plans had come forth from their new Supreme Leader, who holed himself up in his quarters most of the time and had only appeared twice – once to announce his new leadership to the Order and the other time to tell Hux to salvage the wreckage of the Supremacy and wait. Salvage they did, but they had found basically nothing. Anything of worth was lost in the vastness of space, along with Hux’s closest and perhaps only friend. Until the last second, he’d hoped Phasma would turn up somewhere, laughing and declaring that Hux would have to endure her stoicism a while longer, that nothing could kill her so easily. As if their loses hadn’t been enough already. He had mourned his friend accordingly, alone on the blue sofa they had plotted and tattled so often, drinking enough alcohol for two to pass out.

Ren didn’t care about any of this of course, too absorbed in his own misery or whatever the hell he did behind closed doors. The only joy Hux experienced in the weeks after the battle was imagining all the ways in which Ren was feeling inadequately; destroying his room in raving madness or sulking in front of Vader’s ashes or hanging his head in shame of what he’d done to his master. Even though Hux himself couldn’t bring himself to feel a shred of remorse for the old gnarly bastard. Ren might have tried to tell him ‘the girl’ had killed Snoke but Hux wasn’t a fool and Kylo Ren not the best of liars. If he was honest with himself (and he tried to be), he felt glad that Ren had killed their ghoulish leader. He merely regretted not having pulled the trigger on Ren as soon as he had gotten the chance – not only in the throne room but also during Ren’s attack on the Resistance’s ships. He shouldn’t have called him back. Twice that day he had had the chance and twice he hadn’t taken it. He could feel the muscles in his face turning into a frown just thinking about these missed opportunities and how they lead to this uncomfortable stillness they lived in.

By the time the fourth week rolled around, without any new commands or updates from Ren, Hux got nervous and twitchy. His usual confident posture started to crack, especially when officers and captains came to, carefully, inquire about any developments. For the sake of the Order, he spoke in favour of Ren, telling them in all seriousness that a strategic plan was in development and that they should stay patient. Easier said than done, when he himself had started to pace the halls of the _Finalizer_ restlessly, in search of something productive to do. Never before had the ship felt so claustrophobic.  

The week neared its end and found Hux in his room contemplating on how to proceed. He sat at his desk, staring at the data pad in front of him. His coat hung over the back of his chair and his hair was starting to come loose from the straight-combed way. The empty lines of the new message he was about to send mocked him. It wasn’t like him to avoid responsibility. Sure, avoiding Ren wasn’t anything new, but since that idiot had had killed Snoke their dynamic had charted into unknown territories. Ren’s absence and silence didn’t improve the situation. Something had to be done. Hux took another sip from his tea, typed his request for an audience –making a face at his pad at the use of the word –and settled back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. For some reason he thought he would get an immediate answer and waited for several minutes. But when his datapad remained silent, he decided to take a shower and settle in for the night. If _Lord Ren_ considered himself too good for an emergency call, then Hux would play this stupid game and wait for tomorrow.

Mid-cycle came and went at a slow crawl. The longer this nothingness lasted, the more the mood on the _Finalizer_ became a mixture of boredom and anxiety. Moral was running low. Hux could see it on the faces of the personnel on the bridge, doing their duty, unsure of why they appeared to their shift anyway when all they did was drift aimlessly through space. He even caught a few troopers gambling instead of working and had to remind them of their duty and the repercussions of not doing so. By the end of the cycle, Hux was so furious with Ren’s obvious nonchalance, he decided to visit him personally and end this charade once and for all.

He didn’t expect to be let in so easily. The doors to Ren’s quarters opened as soon as Hux requested entry to them. Internally Hux braced himself for anything that could happen to him. He hated how weak he felt in Ren’s presence and how fear crept along his spine and turned it into brittle steel. Despite his accelerating heartrate, he descended into the lion’s den. Someone had to tame or kill that beast before he ruined the whole First Order.

It was dark inside; the room was barely lit and it stank. In addition to the stale air, it smelt of sweat and something rotten. Hux screwed up his face in disgust. At first, he thought Ren wasn’t there but then something in the corner of the room moved. The uncanny quiet made Hux nervous and for a moment, he toyed with the notion of leaving. He took a deep breath instead, settled his posture by putting his hands behind his back and turned towards the shadowy figure. Ren moved his upper body so that the little light coming from seemingly fucking nowhere illuminated his face. In the dark, his eyes were nearly swallowed by his eye sockets, a living skeleton, piercing him with its stare.

“Supreme Leader Ren, did you receive my message?” Hux asked in his most professional ‘fuck you voice’, reserved only for Ren.

Ren was slow to reply, still starring at Hux, “I did. Or else you wouldn’t be here.”

Hux could feel the usual annoyance, when talking to Ren, emerging and spit out his next words, “Well, an answer would have been appreciated. I’m not sure you’re aware of the responsibility you carry - now that you’re Supreme Leader.”

He knew he should have probably kept his calm, the second Ren stood up from his chair. Without his conscious control, his hands squeezed together tightly, awaiting another invisible choke hold or worse. The bruises on his ribs had faded, but thinking about it summoned the days of phantom pain, of being unable to lie in his side or walk without problems, to the front of his mind. He pushed it back. There was no need to humiliate himself, if Ren read his mind. But Ren didn’t say a word, just stared. The silence dragged on uncomfortably, until Ren started talking, “You think I don’t know that? Do you think I’m stupid? Or weak?”

He walked forward until he came to stand directly in front of Hux, his hands balled into fists. Quickly, Hux took in his appearance. The man-child who normally wasn’t that unattractive looked like a mess, with his greasy hair and growing stubble. He bit his tongue to keep himself from stating so aloud.

Instead, he said, “I said you’re acting irresponsible, not stupid or weak. We’ve been aimlessly drifting for weeks. Morale is low and the people, your people to be exact, are wondering what their leader is up to. Even Snoke was clearer about his objectives.”

The words seem to have struck a chord, because Ren nearly bared his teeth in anger and his eyes started twitching in that way when he felt uncomfortable or impatient.

“I know what I’m doing, you’ll see,” he gritted out between his teeth.           

Ren’s words engendered a kind of slow revelation, which made Hux feel smug and excited, yet terrified. He had to keep his thoughts very hidden, packed away in the darkest corner of his mind. He couldn’t estimate Ren’s power at his current state and if he was able to read Hux like an open book, he had to conceal the blooming ideas. Didn’t mean he had to roll on his back and yield.   

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re doing, am I right?”

Hux nearly jumped in Schadenfreude as Ren’s face took on a constipated expression. The other man retaliated, barking, “My Knights will soon join us. I want their arrival to be unproblematic, understood? Leave now and don’t question me again.” With these words, it felt as if all air was sucked out of the room for a second. Even coughing, Hux was sure he couldn’t conceal his anger towards the other man this time. Ren stopped and Hux, done with him, turned around with a snarl and a darkened expression. Before he left Ren’s quarters, he stopped at the door, one last time, to turn his head in the direction of Ren’s following gaze.

“I would wash myself if I were you.  _Your knights_ will appreciate it. And turn on the ventilation system.”

Through the closing door, he heard something hitting the wall and strutted away, satisfied with himself.           

True to Ren’s words, his knights, as Hux still tauntingly called them in his head, arrived shortly after their conversation. One by one, over the course of the week, their ships filled the hangar. Hux oversaw their return personally, but didn’t speak a word with one them. Mostly, because they arrived and immediately left to find Ren, while Hux stood on the bridge and tried to catalogue them from afar. Six they were, Ren had told him via comm-message, and Hux was glad as the last one finally arrived. He had never seen them personally and had only heard about them once or twice. Like Ren, they had belonged to Snoke, helping the Order, but operating outside its power structure. When Snoke was still alive, he’d sometimes reported about new planets joining the First Order or someone contacting them to sell new parts or strike a deal without telling him explicit details. It had been Ren who had casually mentioned who was doing the work during one of their arguments in a hallway. Even back then, Hux had had found the notion of Ren (angry, lost-looking, wearing his emotions on his sleeve unless he wore his stupid helmet) commanding real people ridiculously funny. Instead of laughing, he had answered, “Aha, well then that’s settled” with a smirk, to which Ren had responded by whirling away in anger.   

Once again, Hux regretted not having taken care of ‘the Ren Problem’ sooner, as he watched the last of his disciples crawling back to their messiah – this one likewise in a blurry of black clothes with slender physique, female perhaps, wearing a helmet and a staff across their back. Hux had to give it to Ren. Gathering these powerful individuals might have been a desperate move, but also a powerful one. It would make it even harder for Hux to take him down, with all these Force-users protecting him.

A few days later, the weekly conference was about to start as the doors glided open and Ren marched inside, flanked by two of his knights: one a bit smaller than him but muscular from what his heavy cloak and general attire showed, the other was the supposed female. Hux was furious. The room became dead silent. Even without the Force, Hux could feel the tension in the air and the fear emitting from his Admirals. Forcefully, he stood up from his chair at the end of the table, to mirror Ren’s position at the entrance.

“Supreme Leader, how nice of you to grace us with your presence,” he observed with a sneer and went on addressing his two bodyguards, “Welcome back… I guess.” Hux knew he shouldn’t test his luck, but he couldn’t help it. Ren’s knights seated themselves at the other end of the table with a nod of their master’s head and no acknowledgement of Hux’s words whatsoever.

Ren, of course, would have none of it. Piercing Hux with his eyes, he said, “Careful, General Hux. I’m sure there are others in this room who would love to replace you, if something were to happen.”

Internally, Hux seethed and cursed Ren. He hoped it showed in his eyes as he took his seat again. He knew Ren wouldn’t go through with his threat, nevertheless he made a mental calculation of the Admirals present, who could potentially become dangerous, just in case. They were only present as holoprojections, but that could change in the blink of an eye. In the meantime, Ren, looking smug, took his seat between his followers. As usual, Hux opened the meeting with few words of welcome and proceeded with updates on the Order’s business (which wasn’t a lot since Ren’s supremacy). That train of thought brought him to the big problem at hand, sitting quietly opposite of him.

“That concludes my report. I think it’s time to pass the word to our Supreme Leader.“

Ren leaned forward to put his elbows on the table, hands folded, staring intensely around the table, commanding everyone to look at him with his sheer body volume. Hux refrained from rolling his eyes – barely.

“Our number one priority must be the battle against the Resistance. It is an absolute necessity to find them and crush them. We cannot give them the time or resources to build their defences. They might be weakened by Skywalker’s death, but his apprentice and Leia Organa are still out there,” he paused, ”The Order on the other hand is still strong. We’ve got the diplomatic connections, the strength in numbers and us”, here he made a wide sweeping hand gesture to indicate he meant his knights and himself, “If you trust my Knights of Ren and me, we will win. Together we can destroy what is left of them – we can destroy what is left of the Republic and bring order to the galaxy, once and for all. But we have to do it now. ”

Hux didn’t know if he should be shocked or confused by the speech Ren gave. It was clear, though that he had a sense of strategic and military thinking. He tried to sway these people in his favour, but other than that -. Ren must have seen the scepticism on his face, because he focused his gaze on Hux and his knights followed his example, until every pair of eyes in the room was on him. He blinked and decided that, no, this was not a good plan. It wasn’t a plan at all, really.  

“Supreme Leader, can I have a private word with you? Outside?” he asked with a stern voice, not caring about what the Admirals would think of him and the whole situation. He had to stop Ren’s madness. Ren stood up without a word, Hux followed behind, aware of everyone watching them. Outside, he rounded up on him, dropping any kind of semblance of professionalism as he got as close to Ren’s face as he permitted himself.

“Destruction? What the fuck are you talking about? Did you listen to yourself? This was more of a sermon than a plan! How do you think we should fight the Resistance? Are you aware of the massive loses we have suffered? Of anything regarding the structure and organisation of the Order?” Hux could hear his voice rising in volume, but he couldn’t stop the dam from breaking. Everything bottled up came rushing out. “It’s been a month! By now, they probably have regrouped with the New Republic and are readying themselves to strike back, while _we_ have done nothing. What we need is a functioning fleet and a strategy. You can’t just rush in.”

Ren only stared at him with a grim (washed and shaved) face. He looked so young despite of the recent events. It drove him crazy.

“For once in your life, try not to choose destruction as the best possible solution,” Hux concluded his little speech breathlessly, calming down slowly. He could feel how red his face was.

Ren’s visage lost its tension and a small, hidden smile spread across it instead. One hand settled on the hilt of his lightsabre, the other hung loosely by his side, his body language clearly indicated that he was not impressed with Hux.

“Are you done?” he asked, obviously amused.

Hux was too stunned to answer anything else but, “Yes.”

“I think you’re right.”

“You what?!” Hux burst out.

Ren stretched out his arms and put them on Hux’s shoulder. He could feel the warmth through his coat and Ren’s gloves.

“I know you’re not deaf, Hux. I also know how valuable you are to the First Order and that your strategic thinking has brought this organisation a long way. I don’t want to antagonize you, I want to work with you. I won’t be a second Snoke,” Ren appealed to him. His hands left his shoulders and took their warmth with them. He knew this moment was crucial. Ren offered him an olive branch, whether he took it or not would decide his future.

Hux hoped Ren wouldn’t read his mind as he straightened himself and pushed every intention of killing Ren back down. A moment went by, then he nodded, while his finger twitched towards the knife in his sleeve. Keep your enemies close and all that. Shortly his thoughts drifted to his father and in turn to Phasma, leaving behind the sharp feeling of missing her in his gut. He had to focus his thoughts back to the moment at hand. Ren scrutinized him and apparently found what he’d been looking for, as he indicated with his hand to go back into the conference room.

Inside, Ren took his seat calmly. His knights watched like hawks as Hux, too, took his seat. He had no idea, if they’d listened to the conversation or if Ren was able to communicate with them via some Force shit. Maybe they were simply cautious.

Just as he sat down, Ren proclaimed with the most professionalism Hux had ever heard from him, “General Hux, please present your plan.” Once again taken aback by Ren and his newfound behaviour, Hux stood carefully. He cleared his throat, being nervous wouldn’t help him. His gaze travelled the room and settled on the other man for a second. With one gesture across the table, he procured the data he needed to back up his arguments via holograph.   

“During the last few weeks he have suffered immense losses, as you can see. Before we think about attacking the Resistance or the Republic, we need to rebuild our fleet. Another Starkiller will be unmanageable, of course,” Hux said and looked into the faces of the Admirals, daring someone to disagree or mention his biggest failure, “We also need our spies to collect information about what our enemy is doing. We need to be one step ahead of them. Once we know what their plans are, we can foil them and capture their leaders. They are more worth alive than dead.  Then we can attack.”

No one dared to say something, looking at Ren to gauge his reaction. All the while, the Supreme Leader looked at Hux with an emotion he couldn’t identify. A few moments later, which felt uncomfortable long, he said, “Very well. Go and oversee the reparations of our fleet. I will take care of the spying.”

“You’re not going yourself, are you?” Hux asked incredulously.

“No, I’ll send some of my knights. You needn’t worry about me, General,” Ren answered with a smirk.

And with these last words he stood up and left the room, two of those said knights following him without having said a word during this whole conference. Hux stared after him, then came out of his stupor with a shake of his head.

“Gentlemen, today’s meeting is concluded. I’ll inform you about further commands.”

The holoprojections turned off, silence taking over. Hux stayed seated, alone in the room, thinking about Ren and his changed behaviour. After a while, he left with very mixed feelings, yet energized. The time for action had finally come.  

That night he dreamed of his father or rather the killing of him. He hadn’t dreamed or thought of Brendol Hux in a long time, he really had no reason for it. In the dream, he stood in the corner of a dark, bare room. His father kneeled in the middle of it, illuminated by a single light. His hands were bound behind his back. Without meaning to, Armitage took a few steps forward, hypnotized by the weak state his father was in. That’s when Brandol noticed his son. A cold sneer appeared on his face and Hux knew that whatever Brandol was about to say, it would be an insult. The usual anger and shame rose within him unwanted, before his father even muttered a word. However, before he could, a figure came walking into the light behind him. The light cast a shadow over their face. Hux recognized Phasma’s features, helmless, without armour. She took Brendol by the sparse red hair he possessed, pressed his head back and put a knife to his exposed throat. His father stared at him with eyes filled full of hatred. Phasma grinned and slowly pulled the knife along Brendol’s throat – except that the hateful face turned into Ren’s pleading one as his blood sprayed across Hux’s face.

Hux woke up forcefully, his body still in sleep paralysis, even as his mind regained consciousness. It took a moment for his limbs to work, but when they did, Hux curled into himself, pulling the blanket over his head. Hux was wide awake. He spent a few minutes trying to fall back asleep by breathing deeply, but gave up, since his mind circled back to the gruesome images of his nightmare. After a while he decided that, if he was awake, he could just as well work anyway. At least that would stop him from seeing Ren’s bloody and teary face over and over again.

By the time he’d send new requests to several people, including the weapon dealers, engineers and miners, he was convinced that his dream was some sort of Force-vision fabricated by Ren. He decided to confront and demand of him to stop that nonsense in the future, but as soon as he opened his doors, two of Ren’s knights blocked his way. Hux abruptly stood still. The sudden appearance of those ghastly knights further convinced him that Ren was involved in his current mental state.

One of the knights wore a heavy cowl, concealing their true, small form. Their helmet was reminiscent of a skeleton. The other one was tall and a bit gangly, wearing a long coat and helmet with a grid-like pattern. It was the latter, who spoke, as Hux looked at them suspiciously, demanding an answer with an, “Excuse me?” Their voice was distorted as they said, “General Hux, Master Ren asked us to be your personal guard.”

_Kriffing Ren_ , Hux thought, so this is how it’s going to be. But Hux had never backed down from a challenge before. He recovered his poise with a sigh, trying to appear bigger than he was.

“You can weasel back to _Master Ren_ and tell him that his concern is appreciated, but unnecessary,” he ordered with as much as command in his voice as possible.

“ _No_. We were assigned to protect you. We will not disobey Master Ren,“ the taller of the two pointed out and raised their hands to their helmet. Interest peaked, Hux watched as the knight pulled it off. They looked human, except for the glowing blue eyes, the sharp teeth and blue glowing gums, as they opened their mouth to speak again in a low accented voice, “We feel honoured by serving you. We know what you did for Master Ren.” Hux’s confusion must have shown on his face, because the human-female-looking-person went on further, “We know you – comforted each other, whenever Leader Snoke belittled or degraded one of you.”  

A cold shiver ran down Hux’s spine and spread throughout his body _. Luckily, I can’t see the dumb look on my face_ , he thought, and tried to answer as calmly as possible, “Excuse me.” (His voice definitely didn’t sound scratchy). And walked passed his new guards. However, his attempt to run away from them remained fruitless. They followed him like silent shadows just as their master had commanded. The comment, meant as a reassuring statement, had thrown him off guard. He walked, but had forgotten where to, for memories, long forgotten (or buried?) surfaced to the front of his mind. Specifically one of them appeared before his mind’s eye, fresh as if it had only happened yesterday, when in truth, the event had taken place years ago.

_Hux hadn’t been General in title yet and Ren had been so young, short-haired and even more short-tempered. Snoke had summoned them to complain about –something, Hux couldn’t remember, but that wasn’t important. Hux had been dismissed first and had waited for Ren outside, leaning against the wall, probably to vent his frustration. But as Ren had emerged from the holochamber, looking deflated and humiliated, it had reminded Hux too much of his own experiences with his father. Instead of humiliating him even further, he had had opted to speak words of comfort in a quiet voice, “Where I come from –well, I really don’t come from anywhere, but ah –my people have this myth, about these bloodsucking creatures.” Ren had been looking at him strangely, confused and unsure about what Hux was doing. “These creatures would find a victim and suck them dry. Drain them of their life energy to become more powerful. They use the sweetest words to do so.” He had turned to Ren then, and had found comprehension in his eyes. One of these rare instances where they had communicated without words (but if Hux was honest, they often did). “You’re better than him, Ren. Don’t let him waste you.” He had left then, unaware of the consequences of his words and Ren’s longing stare._

Hux halted in the middle of the hallway, struck motionless by the memory of a moment in space and time, where he had been so bold as to tell Ren that he was better than Snoke. The fact that he had killed Snoke eventually, even though he had told Hux some bullshit lie afterwards, had the air of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hux turned around to regard his two bodyguards. They had stopped, too, and waited for him to do or say something. He debated whether it was wise to ask them how they knew or what else they knew, but decided against it and resumed his walk to the bridge. That he initially wanted to confront Ren was forgotten in a haze of confusion. 

The next few days passed in the same fashion: the knights were glued to Hux’s side and followed him everywhere; plus he avoided Ren, while more memories surfaced. Ren’s powers were still unknown to him and the thought that he might be able to read his memories, taking them apart and analysing them, before Hux could do it, nearly drove him crazy with anxiety. One of these memories greeted him like an old friend when he stumbled upon it, so glad was he, to have found him again –

_Hux sat in the canteen after a meeting with Snoke. Hux hated the anger and doubt, which spread like cancer inside his chest whenever he had to disappoint a superior. Didn’t matter whether that superior was his father or, nowadays, Snoke. He hated it if even more that the source of these weaknesses, his father, had planted these feelings inside him. Even Rae hadn’t been able to change the damage his father had done. He channelled his anger into the food before him by viciously stabbing it with his fork. Luckily, no one dared approach or sit with the Colonel chosen to converse not only with the mysterious Knights of Ren but also the Supreme Leader. They were too afraid of the rumours, his association with Grand Admiral Sloan and his ruthlessness. Hux appreciated it. He didn’t need friends (except Phasma) nor the loyalty of those beneath him. He needed their obedience and for the current General to disappear. He had told Snoke so. Told him how useless and stupid the General was, a last remnant of his father’s influence, but Snoke didn’t care. All he got was a slap on the wrist and the order to wait and oversee construction of the fleet, instead of stepping out of command._

_He was too absorbed in his anger to hear Ren approaching. No surprise then that he was startled as the man sat down opposite from him. Ren assured himself that he had Hux’s attention and slowly took off the mask he usually wore in public. It was still strange to see him without it, although he preferred the boyish looks of his real face. Once again, he wondered how someone like Ren had found their way into the Order, because he carried an air of innocence one couldn’t have if one grew up in the Order. It fuelled Hux’s anger even more._

_“What is it, Ren? Are you here to mock me?” he asked._

_Ren’s eyebrow and eyes did that thing, where they turned extremely expressive, this time in wonder._

_“Why would I do that?”_

_“Because you’re Snoke’s little lapdog? Maybe because you enjoy me being put in my place? It’s not as if we’re friends or anything,” Hux fumed and hated how his voice wavered with repressed anger and hurt. Ren was quiet for a moment and regarded him. Hux was aware that he contemplated his words carefully._

_“May I give you some advice, Hux?”_

_Hux wanted to reject the offer, but was too curious to do so. Advice from Kylo Ren? Anything could happen._

_“Yes. Go ahead,” he said with a wave of his hand, the food forgotten._

_“Not so long ago you told me about this myth your people have. Do you remember?”_

_Confused where this was going, Hux nodded his head._

_“From what I know, you’re capable enough to see this project through on your own. Snoke doesn’t care about the intricacies of the First Order, he cares about –“ Ren paused and visibly searched for words, “He wants his next fix, the next opportunity to suck, sorry that sounds very wrong, but you get the notion, right?” Here Ren did that little nod with his head to give his words more meaning and Hux had to laugh, despite the seriousness of the topic. He closed his eyes and bit his lip to compose himself._

_“Thanks, Ren,” he snickered with honesty, as he opened his eyes to look at Ren’s brown ones. A little smile had stolen itself in his features and –_

“General?”

A voice broke through the memory. The Lieutenant to his right was talking to him. Hux could feel embarrassment creeping up beneath the collar of his uniform, replacing the tingling in his stomach; it wasn’t like him to space out like this, especially not because of Ren’s handsome features. Or some distant memory.

With more irritation than necessary he barked out, “What is it?”

This time, it wasn’t the Lieutenant who spoke, but an all too familiar voice from behind him, “I’m trying to talk to you. You didn’t react when I entered the bridge. Unusual for you, since you never pass on the opportunity to – “ Ren stopped speaking as Hux turned to him. His face must have shown some vulnerability, despite his best attempt to disguise the wound his mind had created.

“Come with me, General. _Now_.“

Ren disappeared in a flurry of black, while Hux followed with an eye roll. He led them into the nearest conference room. The second the door closed behind them, Ren was on him, grabbing Hux’s face, staring at him with such intensity that Hux felt a spike of fear, imagining what Ren would do to him. Bash his face against the wall? Rip his –

“Stop. I won’t do any of those things. I don’t want to hurt you. Yes, I know, I apologized for that, didn’t I? I’m just trying to proof a theory. You’re starting to remember, right? Yes, you do. I can see it,” Ren was talking in an excited voice, his face open and young. This, combined with the pressure in his head, was too much to handle at the moment and Hux pushed Ren away with a pained face.

“Calm down! What’s gotten into you?” There were a thousand other questions in his head, but the most prominent one was why he’d forgotten all those instances, where the both of them had talked like normal people, who actually liked each other. Hux voiced as much.

The pure and unadulterated relief he saw on Ren’s face made him back up against the wall. Because it meant that Ren truly knew about all of this, it wasn’t his imagination, it wasn’t the Knights of Ren playing tricks on him. It meant someone had been in his head, altering his mind. Someone strong, someone who could yield the Force. Panic gripped Hux like a vice around his throat, his whole body.

“Was it you?” he whispered, then screamed again, “Was it you?!”

“No,” Ren said with the uttermost confidence, taking a step forward. “It was Snoke. He didn’t like me forming attachments to others – especially you.” A myriad of emotions crossed Ren’s face: hate, sadness, relief, fondness. “He made me watch as he meddled with your head,” Ren mumbled the last part very quietly, then went on in the same tone of voice; head bowed, “At first I thought he’d erased every trace of friendly interaction we ever had, but even Snoke wasn’t that powerful. No one is that powerful. You can hide memories, even emotions; you can bury them, but not entirely erase them. It seems Snoke’s powers finally subsided, if you can remember everything.”

Hux absorbed the given information with anger and shock, but ultimately resignation took over. It really shouldn’t surprise him, and yet… the notion that this had happened didn’t slow down his racing heart.  

“I can’t remember everything. It comes to me in little bursts,” Hux corrected in lieu of anything better to say. Why he spoke the next words was still a mystery to him as they parted ways later on, “I’m glad you killed the old vampire. I only wish it hadn’t been so quick.” It was a truth Hux knew, but had been too afraid to share with Ren. Good thing his body was already trembling with panic, as he anticipated being choked or, worse, killed. He looked at Ren, bracing himself, but the blow never came. Instead, the Supreme Leader took a step back as if _he_ was afraid of Hux, looking at him with suspicion.  

“I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re scared of,” Hux conceded.  

Ren shook his head slowly. What commenced was an awkward staring contest, each trying to decipher the other’s thoughts and emotions, until Ren opened his mouth.

“I wish you’d had more faith in me. Like before - before he took it away,” he lamented with such sadness that Hux was struck speechless. Knowing that Ren must have seen his plans to kill him at some point, he bowed his head in shame, unable to look at Ren’s sad face any longer. When nothing else was left to say, because Hux didn’t know how to respond to that, the other man left the conference room, brushing Hux on the way out.

They didn’t see each other again for several days. Ren’s knights still followed him everywhere, less so, but still there and Hux tried to do his work, while wrapping his head around all the new information. He wondered why Phasma had never said a word, then decided that Phasma wouldn’t have cared what his relationship to Ren was or had been. He missed her and her cold logical demeanour. They’d once talked about how if Hux were so inclined, they would have been perfect for each other.

It wasn’t until one of his Majors approached him on the bridge, to inform him about new intel, that it became necessary to talk to Ren. With an internal sigh, he thought how unfortunate it was that he wasn’t allowed to decide on his own, whether a planet should be approached with hostile intentions or if negotiation was up for debate. He sent a message to Ren and prepared to wait for an answer, just like last time. He knew from the gossip, which was inevitable in a huge organisation liked this one, that people were not impressed with their new leader. Snoke, at least, had the audacity to show himself sometimes, or transmit commands. No one recognized the qualities of a leader in Ren. They saw Snoke’s mindless monster, useful for brute force _with_ the Force. It didn’t set well with Hux. Morale was important, yes, but ever since their little talk and the epiphany of his new found memories, something had shifted. Ren’s words and the sad look on his face haunted his dreams. He was missing something. He just couldn’t put his finger on it. The uncertainty reflected badly on his work, he didn’t concentrate well and Ren’s knights certainly reported that to their leader. 

Hux was immensely surprised to find Ren walking onto the bridge shortly after he had sent the message and to be proofed wrong. For once in his life, he actually behaved like a professional as he approached Hux with commanding steps and greeted him, instead of yelling or throwing a tantrum as his entrance.

The best defence is a good offense, Hux decided and said, “What a surprise to see you here.” Ren’s right eyebrow raised.

“You called me,” he responded with his infuriating dark, calm voice.   

“Well, last time I did, you didn’t answer. Excuse me for assuming this time would be different.”

Ren had the audacity to look ashamed for a moment. “I – was occupied with more important stuff. Tell me about this problem before I change my mind and leave you waiting. I know how much you like that,” he sanswered petulantly.  

The air between them grew tense, as always, Hux observed without having to use the Force. His subordinates stared at their monitors, as if they displayed the most pressing answers to the universe. Seeing this, Hux took Ren by the wirst, leading them to a more private corner before anyone got any stupid ideas into their head. No one on the bridge needed to listen to plans made by the Supreme Leader and the General, especially if that plans were made in passive aggressive voices. In his hurry, he failed to notice Ren staring entranced at the point of contact he’d established. Or the way Ren’s gloved hand flexed against his own for a second when Hux let go of him.

He produced his datapad from one his pockets of his greatcoat and began to tell Ren about Xigbar, “Some of the planet’s leaders have gathered to resists us. They know we need their resources and are trying to challenge us. It would be in the Order’s interest… if that were to change. They can try all they want, but it would be beneficial for us, if they got the idea that it’s useless.” He gave Ren an inquiring look, “How do want to proceed? Attack them?”

Ren gestured with his head to the datapad, “May I?” Nodding, Hux handed it to him. Ren scrolled through it with a thoughtful expression, then handed it back to Hux.

In a hushed voice he said, “Hack the planet’s communications system and tell those leaders to gather,” he pointed at the screen, “here in a few days’ time. I will negotiate with them.”

Hux blinked, gobsmacked, unable to process what he’d just heard. Ren wasn’t the kind of guy who negotiated. Ren smirked, “What is it, General? Surprised?” Hux’s pride prevented him from affirming the statement. He stared at Ren with the most displeasure he could muster to dissipate the notion. Ren’s face fell.

“Have some more faith, Hux,” he urged with a bitterness that bordered on frustration. Sighing, Hux turned away, unable to do anything against the other’s feelings. He knew where it stemmed from, but just as time never stopped turning, Hux couldn’t change his own feelings. Well, not now, not all of a sudden. Ren’s plan, however, had to be put into action, and that was something he could do as soon as possible. Hands behind his back, back itself straight, he turned to the people on the bridge and told one of his Lieutenants to hack Xigbar’s systems. All the while, Ren stood behind him, he wasn’t sure what for.

“General, done.”

“Get my hologram on there and turn on the microphone. The rest remains silent.”

His Lieutenant once again did as she was told. Taking a deep breath, Hux braced himself (hands behind his back, head held high) and looked at her. She nodded.

“This is General Hux of the First Order speaking. You have two days to gather yourself at the location displayed to you right now. There you will talk to our Supreme Leader and explain yourselves,“ Hux ordered, trying to sound as his usual self. And he did, until Ren entered his field of vision by positioning himself in front of Hux, but away from the holoprojector and imitating Hux’s posture. A wave of embarrassment heated his body immediately, because not only did Ren mock him while Hux did his work, he unknowingly or knowingly unlocked a memory of something close to this – shortly after he had been promoted to General:

_Hux had been standing on the bridge, overseeing the preparations for Starkiller base – his chest filled with pride –when Ren had appeared beside him like a shadow. For all his extroverted behaviour and demeanour, he could be quite stalkerish at times._

_“Standing like that - tell me, do you have a metaphorical or literal stick up your ass, General?” Ren had teased, his dark eyes twinkling with humour, his posture relaxed, close to Hux._

_Hux had turned his head to look him square in the eyes and had muttered, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Immediately, the air between them had filled with the promise of something. He remembered his eyes flitting to Ren’s lips, wondering what they would feel like, taste like and Ren putting his ungloved hand on top of his on the railing, while he’d leaned closer to whisper something else, his nose brushing Hux’s temple, his lips tickling the shell of Hux’s ear._

The memory left him uncomfortably exposed – and hot. Not only to Ren who stood in front of him, mustering him critically, but also the politicians on this strange foreign planet who had to be intimidated. Hux had no other option than to pull himself together, to finish his speech, “We look forward to these _negotiations_ being fruitful. “ With a stiff nod towards his Lieutenant, the transmission was stopped and Hux more or less fled the bridge in order to shut himself away in his room.

Not even ten steps outside the bridge, Ren tried to catch up to him, while calling his name from behind, “Hux, wait!” Hux swivelled around, trying to not sound as panicked as he felt, “Don’t you dare follow me, Ren. You or your knights – leave me alone!” and failed. The volume in his voice bordered on shrill. His breath was coming in short bursts. Time had stopped as he stared into Ren’s eyes. Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heels and disappeared, without Ren following him. Nonetheless, the look on Ren’s face haunted him into his room. He would have been all right if it had only been the kicked puppy expression he knew so well, but no. It had been that, yes, but coupled with the bottomless look of a hungry lion.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, he ran to the bathroom and locked this door, too. Ren hadn’t followed him, yet. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t at all. Impatiently Hux pulled the clothes from his body, excessively eager for a shower. His hand caught on a few buttons, the zipper of his trousers, his boots.

Finally freed from everything, he stepped into the little cubicle. And put his hand on his erection. Hux moaned at the initially pressure. His body swayed forward and he had to put his unoccupied hand onto the wall to stabilize. While he applied even more pressure to his hardness, several thoughts flittered in milliseconds through his head. They varied from ‘I should do this more often’ to ‘fuck you, Ren’ to his antagonism of Snoke, his self-loathing and finally back to Ren, where they settled: Ren’s hungry eyes, ready to devour him and the strange pleasure he found in the imagine of being swallowed by this black hole of a man.

He imagined Ren with him, behind him, crowding him against the wall while his teeth sank into Hux’s neck and Ren’s large hand, instead of his own, working his dick. His ridiculous long hair would be even more ridiculously wet; hanging in long black strands down his shoulders, like ink on paper. They would tickle Hux as Ren kept kissing and biting his neck and shoulder blades, grinding his pelvis hard against Hux’s ass, saying stupid things like, “I told you to have more faith in my powers”. Hux moved his hand faster, feeling his orgasm approaching. His own panting annoyed him. The quickest solution was to bury his teeth in the supporting arm. The bite stung, yet helped him focus on the imagine of Ren littering the upper half of his body with marks, while his hands roamed over Hux until they settled on his waist, where they stayed to hold him against Ren’s massive, strong body, pushing them together – wet skin to wet skin, his cock hard against Hux’s backside, slipping between his cheeks. Hux came with a grunt, hidden behind his teeth burying deeper into his arm and Ren’s imaginary voice telling him how good he was doing. Coming down from his high Hux opened his eyes, which had been closed until then, to inspect the damage on his arm. Hypnotized he stared at the wound; at the water washing away the blood.

*

True to his word, Ren met with the politicians. Although to Ren it, obviously, meant, Ren and a few of his knights. To Hux’s surprise, Ren had approached him beforehand to talk to him about the meeting. Flanked by two of his knights, as always, he had been interested in Hux’s input about the matter, in addition to promising to transmit the negotiations via hologram. So two days later found Hux in a conference room with folded hands upon which his head rested, seeing, but not quite understanding what the force users were doing to make all these people complicit. These politicians, who’d considered rebelling against the First Order was a good idea, basically ate out of the palm of Ren’s hand. Whatever it was, it certainly worked. And while Hux watched Ren behaving diplomatic and civil, channelling his power into something useful for once, he admitted for the first time that perhaps owning him would be wiser than killing him and way more pleasurable. Ren was subtle enough, not making them realise that they were being manipulated. He and his knights sat at the rectangular table provided, instead of standing around menacingly. He chose his words wisely, while at the same time, utilizing the strange charm he possessed. A trait most notably visible in his persistence and stubbornness. Hux guessed it was the latter, which provided the successful basis for his force magic and to which Hux could connect the most. Sharing power (and perhaps a bed?) with Ren began to have a certain appeal.

Transmission ended as soon as the negations ended. The sudden disappearance of the holo brought Hux back to reality. Startled and embarrassed, he had to concede that watching Ren had been entertaining. So much that Hux had lost himself in mushy thoughts about Kylo _fucking_ Ren. Disappointed in himself he stood and left the room while grinding his teeth.  

Ren must have sensed his change of heart the second he came back victorious (or maybe Hux was just simply arrogant in believing so), for he existed his vessel with a spring to his step and smiled at Hux, who watched Ren return, standing at the edge of the hangar. He left though, before the other man or his knights crossed the plain airfield. Work was calling, now that Ren had taken care of the problem. A bit more extensively than necessary, if Hux recalled, how Ren had burned down the cultural heritage the meeting had taken place in, as a goodbye. Hux wondered why he’d done it, but wondering about what went on in the other’s man head was like trying to solve an unsolvable puzzle or an intricate labyrinth designed to keep people guessing where the exist was.

Ren didn’t join him on the bridge, to Hux’s joy. He had enough work to do. Entertaining a Ren, who was in a good mood and rationalized teasing Hux with his attics was cute, wasn’t his top priority. True to his word, though, Ren had apparently sent some of his knights to gather intelligence, because the same day, first reports arrived at Hux’s personal comm to his satisfaction. The rest of his day was spent in a good mood, delegating his Captains to invade Xigbar with their troops. He could barely contain the smile he wanted to wear.

At last, things progressed. Not only at the Order, but also in private. During the day, his thoughts drifted to the other man whenever he had a few minutes to spare. Somehow, seducing Ren seemed an easier task than killing him. Especially with Ren, who to Hux’s knowledge had never been intimate with anyone, but responded to positive emotions like a flower bending towards the sun. Ren was a bit like him in that regard, Hux supposed. Images of Sloan, speaking in a soft voice to little Armitage in her quarters, came to his mind, making him wistful of a time in his life where things had been a bit easier than what came before or after. Blinking, he freed himself of the false nostalgia and went back to work.  

He was surprised, that for some reason, his personal bodyguards didn’t accompany, nor were anywhere nearby, when he deemed it necessary to retreat back to his quarters. A part of him, the part normally deeply buried but freshly unearthed, anticipated Ren waiting in his room, while the bigger, more trained, part wished he wasn’t. Not seeing Ren waiting in his room only mildly disappointed him. _And I really shouldn’t care so much about Ren_ , he thought, pulling off his coat with more force and anger than necessary. Only because he’d done his job for once didn’t mean that their relationship would suddenly turn into what it had been before. _But why not?_ A traitorous little voice, sounding like Ren, whispered in his mind.

Just as he was standing in the middle of his room in merely his underwear and a black t-shirt, the man himself truly appeared with an ominous knock. Somehow, Hux knew who it was before he opened the door.

“What do you want?” Hux asked, his arms crossed across his chest, trying to sound bored.

Ren replied with an upward turn of his lips, “Talk to my General.“

“ _Your_ General. Did your knights help you come up with that?” Hux scoffed.

Ren’s shock of being called out turned his face into an angry blush, which spread across his scarred face. Hux meant it as a joke, but was elated by the truth of it. He took a step back as Ren entered the room with angry strides and without permission and let the doors slide shut behind them. Several seconds passed in uncomfortable silence, where Ren took stock of the room, while Hux took stock of Ren, admiring his physique from a safe distance.  

“We could change that,” Ren suddenly said into the silence and turned around to face the other man. “You could be mine. You – I mean – wouldn’t you like that? Think about before – before Snoke used my affection for you against us. Once you wanted this, too. I know it,” Ren urged.

“Ren. What I wanted back then and what I still want now is, first and foremost, to be met with the respect I deserve – not be thrown into walls, for example. Second, I also belong to the Order and the people I command, I’m not your puppet nor merely a pawn for your strange force games. Are you willing to grant me this much? Mutual respect? The truth?” Hux bargained with his eyes boring intro Ren’s and steel in his spine holding him up.       

“And what do I get?” Ren argued, his eyes searching Hux’s face hungrily.

“The same: me not plotting to kill you. Me by your side. Me,” Hux disclosed. He had to practice what he preached.

The same smouldering look remained on Ren’s features as he neared Hux carefully, without saying anything. He stopped mere inches from Hux’s face, forcing them to breathe the same air. Hux heart started to drum against his ribcage. Taking in Ren’s features from up close, he regarded his eyes, his lips, his moles, even the scar on his face, which didn’t manage to make him uglier. Hux wanted to reach out and touch him, trace his fingers along the bow of his eyebrow, down to his powerful body, his shoulders, his pecs. His eyes wandered back to Ren’s and what he saw in them -  

“What are you thinking about?” Hux asked a bit breathlessly, anticipating Ren’s actions, but unsure of them. Nothing was really sure with Ren – the tides turned so rapidly whenever he was involved in any kind of situation. He made a mess of everything and Hux, to his embarrassment, thought, _I want him to make a mess of me, I want_ -. 

“How powerful you would be, if you were able to use the force,” Ren speculated and put his hands on Hux’s face, disrupting his rapidly descending train of thought. Immediately, Hux felt an uncomfortable pressure in his head and could only assume it was Ren probing at the borders of his mind to ask for entrance. Reluctantly, he let down his guard, already too deeply involved with Ren, ensnared by the potential growing between them, but also curious about what Ren wanted to do next. His stomach dropped as Ren’s face slowly came closer. Out of a reflex, born from years of conditioned fear, Hux’s hands settled on Ren’s bicep, ready to push him away.

Ren must have felt the spark of fear, because he whispered, “Trust me” while still looking at Hux intensely and carefully putting his forehead to Hux’s. A long breath, which Ren released through his nose, tickled across Hux’s cheeks. Slowly, Ren closed his eyes, giving Hux the opportunity to study the parts of his face he could see up close, again. His fingers twitched with the desire to touch his scar – trace it, perhaps even claw it back open. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d rescued a broken Ren from Starkiller, still reeling from his own failure. For once, the memory was still fresh in his mind. There was no surprise when he thought about it and he recalled how angsty he’d felt during the whole ordeal – the rescue itself only blurred imagines and emotions – anxious about failing to please Snoke, about Ren being dead and about being too late to safe him. Ren’s hands on his face tightened their grip as if responding to his thoughts. 

“Hux, close your eyes,” Ren murmured, concentrating and Hux, against his better judgement, complied. He expected anything, but what happened then. Ren’s forehead connected with his own and flashes of pictures and sounds passed through his mind. They were unconnected at first. Hux didn’t have a sense of time during the procedure, yet it felt like some time had passed before the scene played to him formed a series of events he could follow. All of the things he saw, he saw them from someone else’s eyes – Ren’s eyes: Skywalker looming above him, waking up the others, convincing them, most of all, the temples in flames and the smell of burning flesh and the screams. He saw it as if he’d been there himself. The dark of the night in contrast to the bright red flames, while Snoke whispered to him. And what he whispered; his words smooth as honey, balm for his tormented soul. The memory stopped abruptly and he was back in his room with Ren leaning against him, tears streaming down his face.

“Do you regret it?” Hux whispered in the stillness between them, trying to figure out what exactly upset Ren so much. Hux knew the other man was an emotional mess, but the source of his pain could be anything.

“Yes – and no. I can’t deny that it’s one of the worst memories I own.” Hux contemplated inquiring for more, after Ren refused to elaborate. The miserable expression on his face didn’t make him do it. He opted to lead him to his bed. He wasn’t sure about his own intentions at first – he only knew that Ren needed a place to sit and calm down. Whatever else was going to happen, would happen. Ren went to sit on Hux bed complicity, either aware of Hux scheming or simply uncaring. He sacked into Hux’s arms like a puppet whose strings had been cut and buried his face in the general’s neck. His hair tickled Hux’s nose as he kissed the crown of Ren’s head. The fearless leader of the Knights of Ren, seeking comfort in his arms like a child.

“Burning that temple today reminded me so much of that night. It was a mistake,” he murmured and fell silent. Hux didn’t know how to respond, too confused by the whole situation, unable to find words of comfort.

“My knights also told me it would be a mistake coming here. They like you, but they are wary.” Slowly, his head lifted from his position between Hux’s neck and head to look into the other’s eyes. “They felt your bloodlust, but they failed to understand.”

Hux swallowed, mild panic making his heart pound faster. He couldn’t stop his hands from fisting Ren’s black robes a bit tighter. In return, one of Ren’s giant hands brushed along his cheekbone down to his jaw and settled there. Hux could only stare with his eyes wide open, wondering if Ren would snap his neck. Questioning the other’s intentions, he searched Ren’s eyes, which were regarding him with the intensity with which Ren regarded the world in general.

“What –,“ Hux muttered, too afraid to speak any louder, “what didn’t they understand?”

“How important you are to me,” Ren mumbled.

There was more silence after the strange half-confession, in which they both stared at one another, daring the other to take the next step. Ren was the first to look away, averting his gaze to his lap, where he settled his hands as well, flexing them. Hux knew, felt, and sensed that Ren wasn’t the most stable one right now, needed a direction. A thought cursed through his mind like the flow of water in a river – this was the time to conquer.

Without another moment of hesitation, Hux grabbed Ren’s face and caressed it with his hands, pushing it from its downward position up so that Hux could face him. Drawing slow circles into Ren’s skin, he ultimately kissed him. If Ren was surprised, he didn’t show it. Quite the opposite. He reciprocated with vigour, titling his head for a better angle, demanding more contact. His lips were amazingly soft and sweet as they moved against Hux’s smoothly, kissing and kissing, not getting enough. The black hair falling into his face and brushing Hux smelled of some otherworldly perfume.

His world suddenly shifted, as Ren, with one strong push, changed their positions. They lay on their sides then, facing each other. In the background, the sound of a working ship seemed loud compared to the little bubble of silent exchanged breaths they had created, space stretching out endlessly. Ren’s hand went back to touching his neck, his face, while his eyes flitted across his face, searching for an answer. Whatever he’d searched for, he must have found it. Slowly, his hand travelled from Hux’s face to his chest, probably feeling his fast beating heart, further down to the hem of his shirt. One finger lost itself beneath the thin material, scratching lightly at the sliver of skin exposed.  

Hux watched this, slightly detached at first. He had no objections; he was happy about the direction the evening took and the turn of events. If he’d known that it could be this easy – well, it didn’t matter now. He turned on his back, making it easier for Ren to undress him and easier for himself to watch the other man in his singular focus. Ren moved with him, staying on top. The intensity he radiated even with the simplest tasks was fascinating. Both his hands pushed underneath Hux’s shirt. Ren undressing Hux slowly with hot hands and small kisses to every inch exposed, made heat crawl up his spine, his heartbeat accelerating even more. His face must’ve been as red as his hair by now.

Hux found pleasure in seeing Ren not faring any better. His hands shook slightly and his breath came in short, loud bursts. Hux wondered if this was Ren’s first time. For all he knew, the other man had lived celibate all his life. Curious Hux raised one hand to Ren’s neck, where his robe showed a bit of flesh. The soft contact left a burning imprint of Ren’s skin on his palm. He hooked his finger into the collar and pulled it slightly, a signal. Ren stopped to look into Hux’s eyes. His pupils were blown wide, the blackness all-consuming. Hux wasn’t scared.

“How about you undress for me, hm?”

Ren nodded and ungraceful as he wasin his hurry to do so, stumbled off the bed to disrobe. Hux did the same, pulling of the last garments he wore. Ren froze. He had pulled of his robe, yes, but had gotten too distracted watching Hux. His hands hung uselessly by his sides as he stared. Hux said smugly, “What are you waiting for, Ren?” These simple words let to his own private (uncoordinated) striptease. It was strange, feeling turned on, yet embarrassed for Ren, who obviously had little experience. The latter wasn’t enough to kill his growing erection though, or his appreciation for Ren’s trained body. He reached out his hand to drag a path over the hard muscles of Ren’s clothed stomach, making him quiver. If he’d known -.

His thoughts were abruptly stopped by Ren, who took the wandering hand roughly, only to gently kiss the knuckles, staring at Hux hungrily. The gesture left Hux feeling oddly fond, hot and possessive of Ren. Impatiently, he started to unbutton the last piece of clothing on the other’s massive body. Those fucking knights and their annoying ostentatious robes. Hux didn’t even get a good look at Ren’s whole naked body, before he was pushed back on the bed with Ren’s body covering him, his mouth on his mouth and his tongue exploring the inside of it. His body as well as his scent, his taste, enveloped Hux’ in all of his senses.

His hands started wandering again slowly, this time over the muscled back, down to Ren’s buttocks. Hux squeezed, eliciting a moan from the other man and a buck of hips, which rubbed their erections together deliciously. The sensation set his nerves on fire, made him moan, too. Head thrown back, his back arched sinuously, providing more contact, more heat. Ren’s lips took advantage of his position; he kissed his jaw, then his neck, leaving a hot, wet trail, down to his clavicle, where he sucked the pale skin into red marks. His hands settled on Hux’s hips, holding him in place. 

Ren’s hips pushed down hard, demanding more friction. He did it again, moaning, ”Hux,” right into the skin he had caressed so feverish before. And again and again. Hux’ blood pumped through his veins like hot lava, pooling in his belly. He hadn’t consciously closed his eyes, but as he opened them, he saw Ren staring at him, panting, “I’ve wanted this for such a long time, but I couldn’t. I - He wouldn’t allow it.“ It caught Hux off guard, but made sense in retrospect. The distance, the strange aggression and Snoke’s manipulations.

“He’s gone. You can do whatever you want,“ Hux whispered hotly into the tiny space between their faces, feeling as if sharing a secret. And Ren took his advice, as he rolled his hips again, making them moan, then sat back on his knees in one fluid movement. The heat of his skin left Hux shivering for a second, but the sight of a naked Ren made up for it. “Do you –,“ before Ren could finish his question, Hux motioned to the bedside table. Without really moving and in a matter of a second, the lube appeared in Ren’s hand and was opened. While Ren ducked down again, to trail open-mouthed kisses down Hux’ body, he felt the first finger slowly circling his entrance. Ren’s mouth sucked and bit marks, leaving his skin red and stinging with pleasure. As he travelled down down down with his mouth and his finger slowly breached Hux’s tight entrance, Hux, for the briefest of moments, thought he might pass out.

The dual sensation of Ren’s mouth on him and his finger inside of him was overwhelming. It had been some time since his last intimate encounter. That Ren was so good at finding all the right places on his body, despite his theoretical lack of knowledge, drove Hux crazy with want. He was sweating and breathing heavily by the time Ren pushed another thick finger in, ready to burst, if Ren didn’t put his cock in him anytime soon. He vocalised this and had the rare opportunity to see and hear the other man laugh; a dark, smooth sound, roughened by his previous activity of sucking Hux’ dick. The master of the knights of Ren, worshipping his body – who would have thought.

Suddenly, his legs were pushed upwards and opened a bit further as Ren grabbed his own arousal. Hux felt the first initial, careful nudge and rolled his hips towards the intrusion, signalling Ren to hurry. Luckily, he caught on. With one final push and a low moan, he was inside Hux. His body folded over his lover, thrusting and hitting the spot, which electrocuted Hux from the inside out. Later, he would deny the noise, which made it past his lips. But in that moment of absolute ecstasy, he didn’t care. Where Ren was slow and deliberate before, he was possessed by a fast, mindless pace then, as his thrusts became erratic. Hux circled his arms around Ren’s broad back, holding on with a strength that left nail marks on the other’s back, while the breath was fucked right out of him.

Hux didn’t know how much time had passed, if there were at it for minutes or hours or decades, but at some point the sensation of Ren inside of him; his cock hitting his prostate repeatedly plus his overwhelming present around him, above him, their bodies entwined like a delicate puzzle, steadily drove Hux towards the edge of release. He could feel it tingling in his toes, made him curl them into the bedsheets; he could feel it in his whole body. He started babbling, a breathless mixture of “Ren” and “Please”, until he came with a chopped off whimper, coating his and Ren’s belly. While he tried to gather his breath, his hands wandered up through Ren’s hair, holding his head. His lips found Ren’s lips, mashing them together with no finesse. Through their messy kissing a litany of, “C’mon Ren, yes, c’mon” left his mouth. It must have been the last straw for the other man. He came with one last thrust and a groan, spilling inside Hux.

The energy left his body, ensuring that Ren crushed Hux under his weight. He stayed that way for a few seconds, before pulling out carefully and plopping down beside Hux. The latter didn’t know what standard protocol was after a frantic fucking like theirs. Did Ren expect them to speak about it? Would he read Hux’s mind? Did he want to cuddle? He shivered, feeling the cold of his room for what felt like the first time that night. As he was about to pull the sheets around him, Ren’s arm circled around his chest, his legs pushing between Hux’s and the sheets settled over them both. Hux turned his head around, staring at the blissful look on Ren’s face and the small smile dancing around his mouth.

“Go to sleep, Armitage,” he whispered. Hux didn’t even try to protest, too tired, and closed his eyes and slept.

*

Things got easier after that. For one, Ren’s acted distrust evaporated. But most importantly, his body found a new home in Hux’s quarters and his disciples (as Hux liked to call them in his head) kept their distance. If and when Hux saw them, they approached him with an air of respect; heads bowed, a small nod, a greeting muttered through helmets. Their partnership development into something beneficial; the fighting, the arguing, the passive-aggressive remarks stopped. They had a common goal now and worked towards it. The remaining galaxy lay at their feet, ready to be conquered.

It was after Ren had once again kissed his way down Hux’s body to leisurely suck him off, that they lay in quiet darkness, facing each other. Ren’s hand had found its way onto Hux’s face and hair, his thump tracing his features lightly. The ministration left a pleasant tingle on his skin. As always, he intensely stared at Hux, trying to find something. Hux himself was half-asleep, tired out by the day and the sex. He could feel himself slowly slipping under. The arm not supporting his head was thrown over Ren’s naked torso. If Hux was honest, he liked these moments, the quiet and tranquillity, Ren’s heat. It came as no surprise then that Ren started talking. Of course, he had to ruin it with (probably) one if his pseudo-intellectual speeches. He might have had fooled the crew and his followers, but Hux could see right through him.

“You haven’t thought about conspiring against me for a while.”

Hux’ eyes must have been comically wide as he snapped them open immediately as Ren spoke these words in a calm, collected, even soothing manner. Ren’s thumb travelled to Hux’s temple, where it rubbed in circles against his fine hair.

“Shhh, do not worry. Your mind is quite skilled at hiding unwanted intrusions, but this exact idea was just too prominent. You projected it loudly, even if you did not want to. It’s okay, calm down, I’m not mad at you. It’s the opposite – your ambition has been and always will be exciting to me.”

Ren whispered these things as if he was part of a conspiracy against himself. His face got closer and closer until their foreheads touched and Ren’s lips barely brushed against Hux’, a feather- light touch, a promise. For the briefest of moments, Hux’s hands tensed where they lay against Ren’s back and his own head, but then Ren started talking again, “It’s arousing. The intensity of your feelings, how present you are. It was you – you were there from the very beginning, seeing my faults, hating my weakness, fearing my power. You helped me become better and stronger.”

Hux’s heart raced, out of fear, out of lust. He bridged the last gap, claiming Ren’s mouth. His lips were plush and willing, his mouth tasted like Hux. They kissed frantically, breath coming faster. It echoed between them, until Ren drew back and rolled on top of Hux. His chest heaving, his eyes inquiring he said, “I’m better with you by my side. Don’t ever leave me. Do you hear me?” Hux licked his lips and saw Ren’s eyes following the motion hungrily. For a few seconds they stared at each other, until Ren’s patience wore thin, “Answer me!” “Yes, Ren. Yes, okay.” As soon as Hux spoke those words, Ren descended upon him, devouring him once again. _Not a God, a black hole_ , Hux thought. Ren was the void: Large, consuming, incessant. And he lay in Hux’s bed. And he worshipped Hux’s body.                             

     


End file.
